THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING

FRENCH ACCOUNTANTS

ABOUT US

When it comes to setting up a business in France, expanding your current international business to France, or simply investing in French property, here at SAREG we have all the tools at hand to provide you with a complete service from initial advice to company creation, annual accounts and tax returns.

With over 30 years of experience in international businesses and investments, 5 offices and a team of English-speaking staff on hand to assist with all your accountancy requirements, our “savoir-faire” is second to none and means we are well able to find the best solution to suit your needs, whatever your situation. Our firm has expanded tremendously over the years and has become the most innovative accountancy firm in the area, working closely with the authorities to find the most tax-efficient solutions for English-speaking clients.

We are particularly experienced in the business of UK tour operators and currently look after the affairs of more than 100 such businesses, representing them with the French authorities, including annual audits and VAT declarations. Our clients range from those with modest turnovers to those with several millions of Euros of turnover and we are capable of assisting any size of business and helping with expansion.

PROPERTY INVESTMENT

Before you purchase your property in France, speak to our specialists to make sure you choose the best method of purchase for your individual circumstances.

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL TAXATION

One of the main concerns for people thinking of living or investing in France is French taxation. Our team can help you wih the different taxes in France related to property, business, income and wealth.

OUR SERVICES

PROPERTY INVESTMENT

Before you purchase a property in France, it is always advisable to seek advice relating to your individual situation as there are many factors to take into consideration. These will relate to who is purchasing, what you wish to use the property for, whether you intend to run a business from the property and what you would like to happen to it in case of death.

FRENCH BUSINESSES

Running a business in your own country can be daunting enough but setting up in business in a foreign country can be hard work, particularly if you do not speak the language. French law does not allow for anyone to work in France unless they are either self-employed or salaried and therefore it is essential you get advice before carrying out any activities in France. There are several choices of business structure, tax regime and registration according to the type and size of your business, the professional activity and whether or not you require staff.

We can assist in all the following areas:

• Advice related to business structure• Business registration or creation of French subsidiaries• Annual accounts & company declarations• Staffing and salaries

Professional and personal taxation

One of the main concerns for people thinking of living or investing in France is French taxation. There are several different taxes in France related to property ownership, running a business, income and wealth, and it can be a minefield to try and understand what your liabilities are in your individual circumstances. Our principal clientele is a professional one and where we look after our professional clients’ annual accounts, we generally also prepare their personal income and wealth tax declarations. However, we do also have a list of private clients who may require assistance with complex income or wealth tax returns and have a dedicated English-speaking tax team who deals with this. Outside of our busy tax return period, we are also available for tax consultations related to change of residency or professional situation.

Our experts can help guide you through this complex system by offering advice and assistance with:

FEE STRUCTURE

SAREG is a group of fully qualified chartered accountants and as such our fee structure is based on our experience and our expert’s qualifications or competencies. We have many local clients and it is good to be able to meet face-to-face to discuss requirements, as well as for the end-of-year meeting to go through your accounts. As we have offices across the Haute-Savoie, including one that is half an hour from Geneva, we are accessible to much of the French Alps and surrounding regions. However, for anything related to furnished rental activities, both self-catered and catered, we are able to look after clients all across the country and can deal with your accounts and tax returns remotely.

We do prefer to arrange meetings in one of our offices for an initial consultation related to setting up in business, as this type of consultation is so much more efficient than by telephone. However, as indicated above, we can provide initial consultations by phone for any type of furnished rental activity. We charge an initial consultation fee, which is generally in the region of 150-200 Euros + VAT for the first discussions related to any project but this fee could be higher if further research and/or advice is requested after an initial consultation.

In general, our charges are calculated on an hourly rate basis and therefore depend on who is dealing with the client file. The fees range from around 40 Euros per hour for an accounts clerk to 150 Euros per hour for a chartered accountant, with intermediary fees of 85-100 Euros per hour for accountants, tax specialists and other specialist non-accountancy matters in English. It may well be that during a year someone from each of these fee levels will work on the same file and this is why it is not easy to give a fixed quote in advance. However, generally our chartered accountants can give a guideline figure for annual accountancy fees according to experience – these guidelines are based on time spent preparing the end of year accounts and dealing with tax returns; therefore for any additional queries or assistance with matters outside of the annual accounts, the relevant hourly rate would be applied and an additional fee charged should the initial guideline budget be exceeded.

WHAT OUR STAFF SAY

“From our vast experience in looking after international clients, we can help you determine which legal and fiscal solutions are the most tax efficient and suitable for your individual situation.”

– Yves Lanvers

“I enjoy the challenge of helping our clients understand and navigate the French system.”

– Stéphanie Greillet

“We have the great fortune of working with international clients – it’s the key to the future and we should seize the opportunity.”

– Emmanuel Le Tranchant

“Every good business needs a great accountant!”

– François Benoit

“Customer service is one of our main priorities.”

– Mélanie Critin

JOIN US

We are always looking for bilingual staff to join our team of accountants here in the French Alps. If you have experience in accountancy and speak good French and fluent English, please contact us with a CV and we will let you know what kind of jobs are available within our company that would suit your profile.

We need people who are used to working under pressure, who are able to converse in both languages easily and who can work as part of a team. If you already fulfil these criteria, we would be pleased to hear from you!

If you are not an accountant but are a bilingual PA, we would also be interested in hearing from you as we are looking for secretarial staff who are able to provide a multitude of tasks, from reception to assisting our English-speaking team and our Legal Department.

CONTACT US

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We will only use your personal details for the purposes of responding to your email and will not use your data for any other purposes or to transfer to any third parties.We will only use your personal details for the purposes of responding to your email and will not use your data for any other purposes or to transfer to any third parties.I accept

Debbie BRADBURY

I am your first port of call for all enquiries and can advise you on the next steps to take according to your individual situation.

DEDICATED ENGLISH CO-ORDINATOR

We are proud to say we have a dedicated account co-ordinator for English-speaking clients with whom you can speak directly and discuss your individual queries in English.

Debbie Bradbury is based in the St Pierre office. She has extensive knowledge of the French administration and procedures related to getting settled in France and can help guide you through the red tape but also has our chartered accountants at hand for any specific accounts or legal issues.